Welcomed Back
by NevWriting
Summary: Gabriel has been gone for a long time; well over a year now. How will his favorite hunters react to his return? More important, how will Sam react?


_Foreword: Just a drabble I wrote while in school today. It's short and sweet and maybe a little tissue worthy. I needed to write something fluffy with all the angst I generally surround myself with. (I actually don't know why I'm posting it this sucks)_

_Since I don't generally write things like this, I'm kinda self conscious about it. So feedback would be appreciated and loved and cuddled with. Thank you guys!_

Rated for foul-mouthed Winchesters and one particularly naughty archangel

Takes place pretty much in the 7th season, before 7x09

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><p>Gabriel expected a number of things when he popped up in the Winchester lair. Screaming, punching, kicking, cursing; general mayhem sans murder, what have you. Maybe not so much else but cursing from Dean but he definitely expected animosity from Sam. After all he left them hanging, but with a good excuse. He kind of died –well, he <em>did<em> but he was back now, probably by the Someone-Gabriel-Refused-To-Acknowledge- but still, he had been…_something_ with Sam. He doubted it was nice to stay away for a year and some change.

Regardless, Gabriel expected pretty much everything physically possible, within reason; except for this.

When Gabriel appeared in a flutter of wings, all he received was stunned silence. A pair of Winchesters and a Bobby were just _staring_.

Well. Okay then.

"Don't all jump at once," Gabriel chuckled, smirking slightly even though he was starting to get a little nervous at the amount of awkward this was.

A choked sound from one of them and suddenly there was a crash that made them all jump. Sam was upright in an instant, his chair slung on the floor; his body was tense like a cornered animal, scared, confused, trapped in flight or fight mode. Bobby grabbed his arm when he took a step forward and the younger Winchester whipped his head around to look at him. His eyes were wide in confusion and Gabriel swore he saw what looked like anxiousness and panic. Sam looked at both Bobby and Dean, who were staring right at Gabriel, and then at Gabriel himself, before he finally hunkered down in what could maybe pass for relaxation.

"What the _fuck!_"

Cue Dean breaking the silence and then things got less awkward; kind of. At least then Bobby and Dean were yelling at him like he was prepared for. They asked various invasive questions like yeah, big bro really did kill him, yes he was dead, no he's not lying you ass thanks for asking if he was alright, no he got back after Luci was sent back to time out, yes he assumed Sam went under, no he didn't know Sam was newly re-souled why are you treating him like he could do something about it he was _dead_, no he didn't know his little brother was…well. He'd need to get the story on that one later. The questions and bickering went on and on and other than his feathers bristling up a storm unseen he was masochistically rather pleased to see the group of hunters. He'd missed them, in a weird way.

But still, Sam hadn't said a word. He was still staring at Gabriel like he wasn't really there. Or maybe he was imaging that because Sam's expression was terrifyingly unreadable and Gabriel had decided not to pry into his head.

Bobby noticed too, though, and he nudged Dean none too gently in the arm. Dean turned and snapped out a _What?_, but Bobby just gave him a pointed look and inclined his head towards Sam. Dean looked at Sam then, and back at Gabriel, then to Bobby, back to Sam. Back to Gabriel, then Sam. His eyebrows arched high and that was Bobby's hint. Dean opened his trap and Bobby stopped him faster than lighting with another jab.

"I'm gonna make coffee. Dean. _Help_." Whatever he needed help making _coffee_ for was blessedly not brought up and Dean followed Bobby into the small, beaten-down kitchen with eyes so wide he looked like he had been probed. Gabriel snickered a little but quickly wiped the smile off of his face. Obviously Sam wasn't happy and him laughing may or may not be seen as offensive.

He gulped and turned back to Sam, smiling slightly and hoping it looked sincere. Sam was still standing, utterly stock still and his gaze locked on Gabriel. He almost felt it burn on him and he gulped again. He had really missed Sam, and god help him no-that-was-not-an-invitation he hoped he hadn't screwed all of this up. The archangel opened his mouth to speak but Sam took a step forward then, unsteady on his feet, but approaching him quickly and Gabriel braced himself for the subsequent punch in the face. Hey, he was a pretty good Samaritan he thought; he was going to just let Sam do it.

Sam grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him up until he was on his toes and he flinched reflexively, waiting for the inevitable. But the hit never came and when Gabriel cracked an eye open all he saw was Sam staring back. His grip on his shirt was not really angry, so much as just feeling the cloth, taking in the worn cotton like it would turn to dust in his fingers if ran his thumbs too hard over it, or it would slip through his fingers like smoke if he let go. Sam's eyes themselves, beautiful hazel just as Gabriel remembered _ugh he's a sap,_ were filled with confusion and disbelief.

"You… y-y-you…" Sam started and now the archangel could feel his hands shaking. Then he was dropped, none too gently and it caused his knees to buckle, before Sam was backing up again. He collapsed back in his chair and hid his face in his hands.

"Jeeze Sam, enough with the melodrama. I exist. Fleshy and bony and all that jazz."

"Oh _fuck_ you Gabriel, just…_fuck…_" The last expletive came out choked and more like a broken moan and Sam tangled his fingers in his hair, tugging the strands and slumping down.

Gabriel felt like he was walking right into a trap. He really did, but he just couldn't help it. Gabriel felt a pang in his chest by how much Sam looked like a hurt child right now; lost and confused and son of a bitch, what had _happened_? He had to do something. Gabriel sighed and walked towards Sam.

"Hey, come on I'm re-EEEL!" Gabriel yelped sharply, probably too shrill and very unmanly when Sam suddenly grabbed him by his waist and hauled him forward. In one swift motion Sam lifted Gabriel up and wrapped his legs around his hips, hugging him so closely and so tightly Gabriel was sure his ribs were going to crack. He felt them give a little and he let out a wheeze. Thank Heaven for angelic might.

"Sammy, I'm not going anywhere," Gabriel laughed, wriggling a little in the vice-like hold. But Sam didn't make a sound. He just held on tight and buried his face in Gabriel's neck, and Gabriel was suddenly brought back to that lost and confused kid. No, there was something else there too. That was when he felt the tremor and heard Sam's breath shake. Gabriel's smile faltered and his humor faded. He stroked his thumb over Sam's cheek, just a small sliver through his hair where he wasn't trying to hide himself in the much smaller man.

"Sam…" Gabriel said gently.

"Just… _shut up._" Sam said, his voice small like the scared, lost, and alone child he resembled so much right now, but his voice was still surprisingly steady despite all of the contrary showing in his trembling shoulders. "You said… you _can't…_"

It took Gabriel a moment to decipher Sam-squatch, but then he remembered and oh. _Oh._ Shit.

Way back when they started their Something, Sam had warned Gabriel about his lethal dick and told him to keep back. Gabriel had merely laughed and told him he wasn't going anywhere, he was an _angel_. Then, well. Lucifer happened. And honestly… Gabriel kind of knew he wasn't going to make it out. It would have been nice, but he had been realistic. And he couldn't tell Sam that, he just couldn't.

"…Does it make it better if I say I _really_ mean it this time?"

Sam let out a sharp sound that sound dangerously close to a sob but before Gabriel could panic his head was dragged up and Sam kissed him with lip bruising force, hard and deep and desperate and if Gabriel tasted the salt of tears he would never tell. Sam's big hands shook where they framed his face and Gabriel clutched back, strong and reassuring as he kissed him back; proving to Sam that he was _here,_ he was real, and like hell he would leave him again. Even if Gabriel was an ass, he kept his promises. And damn, he had _really_ missed this kid.

Gabriel pressed close to Sam and threaded his fingers through his long hair, tugging him closer and drinking down the small moan he pulled out. Sam's hands dropped to his back and spread wide, pulling him impossibly tighter and closer until there was no space at all between them and Gabriel wondered for a moment how his vessel fit so perfectly to Sam's body, but then realized he _really didn't care_.

After what felt like an eternity but still not enough they pulled away for air, panting against each other's lips and slowly their eyes opened. The sad look in Sam's eyes had disappeared. Still very much worn and cracked, but there was hope there now, too. Gabriel smiled and knocked his forehead lightly against the younger Winchester's. Sam sighed shakily and brought his hands up to cup Gabriel's jaw again, his forehead still against his but now Sam was smiling bright enough to fill the entire room.

"I missed you," he said softly, breathlessly. Gabriel chuckled lightly.

"I missed you too, kiddo."

~End

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><p>(And now for a bonus ending:)<p>

Sam laughed lightly but before he could say anything else Gabriel drew him into another kiss, deeper this time, gently stroking his jaw and he smiled when Sam shivered slightly. He sucked Sam's lip and kissed back a little harder, drawing a gasp from his Winchester and then he was kissing back harder, deeper, and _shit_ it was perfect. It felt so good and he wanted more, he needed to be with Sam again. He tangled both hands in his hair and tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss, pulling another small moan from the younger and-

"Do you guys want co- _NO YOU DON'T!_"

Gabriel felt Sam jerk to look at what Gabriel knew to be his freaking brother, so instead he kept a firm hold on Sam's head and pushed his tongue deep into Sam's mouth. Sam let out an unabashed moaned and practically melted into him and Dean groaned.

"Oh come _on!_ I just- son of a…" Gabriel heard a clatter and a dull thump followed by a harsh curse, and footsteps out of the room. Gabriel sort of almost hoped Dean had smacked his face into the wall. Even Sam chuckled and really, Gabriel didn't think he could get any happier than at this moment.


End file.
